El Paso: The Mean Streets #6
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Makeshift City Hall, El Paso Green Zone
Gunfire sounded, as Zip-Face opened fire until the MP5 was dry the firing mechanism clicking as he kept moving his finger on the trigger, the sound of shooting replaced by a dry almost manic cackle. “Dry huh, well guess it’s time to dampen down the old college field.” He stated, before pulling out a detonation trigger, the MP5 clattering to the floor. “I wonder how many of my bombs are already in innocent, soon to be blown off hands.”
“Hopefully none.” A voice announced, as a crossbow bolt hissed through the air, and stabbed into the trigger and the hand holding it.
“Oh well if it isn’t Willow Tell,” Zip-Face remarked sarcastically, as he saw Siwang load another bolt into her crossbow. “Or is it Robyn Hood? Seriously you carry that antique around to do you muderising. Well the 9th century just called, they want me to introduce to a little something called gunpowder.” He hissed, as he pulled out a pistol and opened fire, his target ducking behind an abandoned car, shots punching through the glass and smashing into the bodywork. Within a few seconds, that gun too was out of ammunition.
“The name is Siwang, you may have heard of me.” Siwang stated, as she vaulted over the car and levelled her crossbow at Zip-Face. “Now drop your weapon and get down on the floor, my boss wants to talk to you.”
“Your boss? So you’re a lackey, a toady, a lickspittle? Ha, that’s hilarious, come back when you make your own decisions little girl, it worked wonders when I tried it.” Zip-Face cackled. “Come on, surely my bomb is more of a concern then your boss.”
“The detonator is destroyed, you’re not blowing anything up.” Siwang replied, as she advanced on him, only for Zip-Face to interrupt her with a snicker. “What’s so funny?”
“This!” Zip-Face snickered. “This is a prop, come on you honestly thought I would use something this clunky and obvious for my bombs. Oh no, I came ready to leave this world on a choir of angel voices and the stink of nitro-glycerine. As soon as I die, the heartbeat monitor installed into my cardio-vascular system sends a detonation signal to my explosives.” He added, his statement causing Siwang to stall in her tracks.
“And if you don’t die?” Siwang asked, as she lowered her crossbow.
“Oh don’t worry about that.” Zip-Face announced, as the ear smashing crack of an explosion sounded from the college campus. “I have that covered.”
**
El Paso Community College, El Paso, Texas
Dani charged towards the water delivery truck, as two men dressed in National Guard uniforms handed out four litre canisters of water to the thirsty crowd. Somewhere, somehow the maniac she had been chasing had laced an unknown number of the kegs with micro-munition particles, she just didn’t know how many. Pushing through the crowd, she watched as the two guardsmen drew their weapons and aimed them at her head.
“Ma’am you have to go to the back of the queue and wait just like all these other good folks.” One of the guardsmen stated, as he handed a thirteen year old one of the water canisters.
“The water is unsafe!” Dani yelled, as she watched the boy take a sip from the keg. “I have evidence suggesting that someone has laced the water with…” Before she could finish the canister in the boy’s hand exploded in a shower of shrapnel and purple flames, the waves of destruction ripping through him, and the nearest people. After a moment of shock, the crowd began to scream and run, the water canisters dropping to the floor, with several more detonating, the explosions scything through many fleeing bodies.
“That’s it, mow them down!” One of the guardsmen yelled, as he opened fire, his weapon flashing as he pressed the trigger. His compatriot nodded and pulled off a keg, before throwing it towards those who had fallen, only to see Dani catch it, the bomb inside exploding as the water sloshed over the trigger strip. Screaming in pain Dani rallied and grabbed one of the guardsmen by his rifle and pulled him off the truck, before slamming him face first into the chassis, his neck cracking from the impact.
“You are a disgrace to that uniform!” Dani hissed as the remaining guardsman, rested his hand on the nearest canister. “How much did Zip-Face pay you to target innocent people?”
“He will liberate this city! He is our saviour!!” The man snarled, before he shook the keg, the metal canister exploding, before setting off the others, the truck, the guardsman and Danni all vanishing in a violet explosion. As the smoke faded, and the sound of sirens, already present in the distance, sounded louder and louder, Dani pulled herself out of the massive crater burnt into the earth, her Valkyrie power armour almost completely vaporised.
“Vance can you hear me?” Dani whispered, as she crawled towards the edge of the burn marks. “Can anyone here me?” She added, as a vehicle pulled up and a set of boots came into view.
“You are under arrest for committing a terrorist act on American soil,” The voice answered, “you have the right to legal counsel and will be supplied by one if you are unrepresented. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law once martial law has been lifted. Until then you are a prisoner of the Texas National Guard.”
“It wasn’t me…” Dani whispered, as she was lifted to her feet, a unit of men in uniform standing before her.
“Tell it to the commander, but be warned, he has no time for child killers like you.” The arresting officer snarled.
**
Makeshift City Hall, El Paso Green Zone
“Yes!!” Zip-Face hissed, seconds before Siwang wrapped her crossbow around his neck and pulled, the draw string biting into his throat. “Now this city…will be…thrown into…” He wheezed before falling to the floor.
“No it won’t.” Siwang answered, as she removed her bow and ran towards the nearest building as a police cruiser came barrelling into the plaza. Getting out of the passenger side of the door, Officer West opened fire, her shots going wide as Siwang vanished into the connecting streets. Snarling in rage, West walked over to Zip-Face, her foot nudging the man’s unconscious body before she handcuffed him and pulled him to his feet.
“You’ll do for now.” West stated, as she dragged him over to the police cruiser. “But some day very soon, I will find your accomplice and I will make her pay for murdering my partner. Your brother’s blood is on your hands Maya, and I will make sure they are clamped in iron very soon!”
**
Casa de Boccanegra, El Paso
Siwang entered Boccanegra’s dining room, just as the mob boss was slicing a sweet potato wedge on her plate, the vegetable nestled against salad and a meat that Maya didn’t recognise.
“You did well, Zip-Face was a problem and you solved it.” Boccanegra stated, as she took a bite out of the potato. “I already forwarded your earning to Mr. Labah. Now sit, you look like you need to eat, and I won’t have you collapsing in my service.” Taking a deep breath Siwang sat down, and a waiter walked in carrying a tray with a lid, before placing it down before her. “Try the meat, it is the most tender cut I’ve ever tasted.” She added, as Siwang jabbed a piece of meat with her fork, and put it in her mouth.
“What is it?” She asked, as Boccanegra’s smile went from warming to a cruel grin.
“Your punishment for trying to trick me.” Boccanegra stated. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Oh wait…” She added, as Siwang began to wretch. “Now swallow! That’s an order.” She added, as she watched Maya force herself to swallow. “Now finish your meal, it’s quite rude to turn down such a well prepared meal don’t you think?”
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